UK Landlord Forum / Life

Some of them are probably ok.

Today we have one of a set of joint agents getting an offer (possibly fictional), calling the other joint agent before having spoken to the vendor, and telling the other agent to stop marketing.

The potential 'cash' buyer was introduced before the second joint agent was engaged, so the first agent stands to make 100% of the commission if the sale goes through. But 100% doesn't seem to be enough for some people.


V

Do you have to pay a higher commission fee because you used multiple agents?

Oh, and what do you mean that 100% commission isn't enough?

Yeah, we pay more if they sell it to someone introduced during the "joint agent" arrangement, which makes it even more daft because they wouldn't earn that much more by flogging it sole. I think if they were the agent that made the sale they would make 0.15% more if that person was introduced before the joint agreement than after.

100% isn't enough ... because its clearly not enough for them to have sold it, and to have sold it to someone who was introduced before the joint fee arrangement - they want to act counter to our interests and have the other agent stop marketing 'just in case anyone else comes along' who will pay more and who will be introduced via the new agent. And I accept that much is fair in love, war and business, but as far as I'm concerned someone working on my behalf calling someone they're supposed to be working with (also on my behalf) and telling them to act contrary to my interests because it works for their interests is out of order. If they don't get the best deal for me they won't be getting the most commission, and if they think they can dodge having to deliver by pulling a fast one they need to think again.

I am not going to rock the boat right now, mind, because in fairness what I have heard is from the new agent, so it could just as easily be the new agent embellishing events to try and remove the old agent from the equation by inciting us to stop working with them. My gut feeling tells me this isn't the case, but it does no harm to leave things as they are right now so we wait and see.

V